Scientists under attack. Part 2

Published time: 23 Feb, 2011 10:31 Edited time: 24 Feb, 2011 09:56

Árpád Pusztai and Ignacio Chapela have two things in common: they are both distinguished scientists and their careers are now in ruins. Both issued warnings against the sale of genetically-modified food and both are now suffering the fate of those who criticize such work, which is often dominated by financial interests rather than the public good. Director Bertram Verhaag’s exposé paints a vivid picture of a scientific community in danger of losing its objectivity in the face of pressure from the commercial sector.

Legislation allowing GM food to be developed and sold has been passed worldwide. As a consequence, huge corporations like Monsanto, whose pesticides cover a large proportion of the Unites States’ agricultural production, are being allowed to subject us to products whose effects have not been fully tested, or have even been found to be harmful.

This documentary persuasively argues that the future of scientific freedom is under threat. Today, 95 per cent of research into genetic engineering is paid for by industry interests and objectivity, supposedly the very core of scientific discipline, is a likely casualty. So can we, the public, still trust our scientists?